Founded in 1982, Aunt Lute Books has spent forty years contributing to the shape of literature across the continent. Their books–novels, poetry, essays, as well as an array of non-fiction works–are consistently on lists of must-read titles and taught across the world. Those influential books from the self-described “intersectional, feminist press” include Borderlands/La Frontera: The New Mestiza (first published in 1987) and The Cancer Journals (1980).
Aunt Lute Books is considered a Bay Area establishment, but Barb Wieser and Joan Pinkvoss initially established it in Iowa City. Four years later, the Press moved to San Francisco to partner with the small lesbian press Spinsters Ink. The two would separate again in 1990, when Aunt Lute Books would begin operation under the newly founded Ant Lute Foundation. Spinster Ink, still a lesbian press, would eventually move away from the coast. Perhaps amusingly, Spinsters Ink would eventually move away from SF, while Aunt Lute continues in the city.
To this day, the House continues to print “literature that voices the perspectives of women from a broad range of communities.” Readers can find out some information about the House through their webpage and Instagram page.
Recent Titles
More in the UC Libraries
You can find Aunt Lute Book’s publications across the UC Library system in just about every edition. To find their books specifically at UC Berkeley, readers can use the UC Library Search with a focus on “UC Berkeley catalog” and a limit by publisher (click here for the search).
Notes
[1] “About Us,” Aunt Lute Books, accessed February 9, 2026, https://www.auntlute.com/about-us.
